UFC on FX 4 winner Cub Swanson unsure of nickname, but knows he wants title shot

http://mmajunkie.comFight Night bonuses he’s got down, but that whole nickname thing is still a work in progress for Cub Swanson.

The 28-year-old UFC featherweight laughed off MMAjunkie.com Radio host Brian “Goze” Garcia’s notion to go with the moniker of “Cookie Monster” after posing for pictures with the furry, blue “Sesame Street” character during a celebratory trip to New York after his UFC on FX 4 victory over Ross Pearson this past weekend.

“I was very close to having the announcer announce me as ‘Killer Cub,’ but never got around to talking to him about it,” said Swanson on Monday’s edition of MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio), of the new nickname members in the Greg Jackson camp gave him.

The name seems fitting after “Cub” — born Kevin Luke Swanson, but who quickly earned the baby bear tag from his older brother while he was just an infant — scored a highlight-reel knockout against the English striker Friday night at the event that took place at Revel Atlantic City in New Jersey.

“That was my big opportunity to really showcase my skills,” said Swanson (17-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC), who earned a $50,000 “Knockout of the Night” bonus for his victory over the “TUF 9″ winner.

“I know that I messed up in the past when I’ve had opportunities like that. But this was the biggest one I had yet in front of that many people on TV, so to really put on a good show and being able to do that was huge for me.”

Despite an entertaining first-round that saw Swanson connect with a high leg kick, the Palms Springs, Calif., native wasn’t so sure if his “stick-and-move” game plan was working.

“I felt pretty confident the whole fight, but there were definitely times where I started second-guessing myself,” he said. “I’m hitting this guy with some solid shots and he’s not going anywhere. I almost questioned myself a few times, but kept going after it – kept trying to pick him apart.

“Then the one that landed didn’t seem like anything special until it happened. The one that hurts you is the one you don’t see coming.”

Swanson, who has won back-to-back UFC fights and is 3-1 in his past four bouts, set up the second-round stoppage with a front kick that staggered Pearson. Quick punches continued to daze him before Swanson finished the fight with a big left hook.

“I was happy with it,” Swanson said. “Of course it was a big win. A lot of people know who he is and he has a big fan base. Tough as nails. I’m just happy the fight went as we planned. Stick-and-moved and tried to wear him down, and then go in for the kill a little later. I can’t complain.”

But fans inside the Revel did just that as Swanson’s training partner Clay Guida tried to implement a similar “stick-and-move” attack against Gray Maynard in the FX-televised main event.

“I think people need to quit with all that stupid talk,” Swanson said. “It couldn’t be further from the truth. The game planning on somebody who hits hard is sticking and moving, but it’s not run from your opponent. No one in our camp believes in that or thinks that’s a good way to fight.”

But unlike Guida, who fans and UFC president Dana White accused of running from Maynard, Swanson provided plenty of action with an assortment of flying knees, punches and even a wheel-kick.

“You can ask anybody down at Jackson’s – that’s how I spar,” he said. “I throw a lot more crazy stuff than that. It just a matter of being able to pull it off in a real fight when the pressure is on and somebody is trying to kick your butt.

“I practice that stuff all the time and I wanted to showcase it for the crowd. I had two goals in mind: One, win the fight, and two, be exciting. I felt I was able to do both, and that’s what I was most happy about.”

Well, that and the fact that Swanson was able to “finally put together” all of the training methods he’s been practicing for so many years — a maturity he insists will lead him to bigger-named challenges in the UFC.

“I feel like I’m fighting efficiently, I’m training more efficiently,” he said. “I’m smarter and I kind of learned to have fun out there. I used to be really mean when I got in the zone and just had so much aggression and a kill mentality.

“Now I know I have the technique, the skill and aggression to pull it all off, so I just try to enjoy every moment of being in the UFC and just where I’m at in my career. Then when I get in there, it’s showtime. I don’t flip that switch until that last second and feel that’s really helping me.”

While Swanson insists he doesn’t like to call opponents out, he said a rematch against Ricardo Lamas, his lone UFC loss, would be fun.

“I don’t know where that stands or if he’s ranked above me or if I have any shot at that,” Swanson said. “I’m pretty stoked that he’s doing well and I knew he was going to beat (Hatsu) Hioki. That’s somebody I’d like to fight. A fight with me and ‘The (Korean) Zombie’ would be pretty cool. Obviously, I want a title shot – so whatever I got to do to get there.

“I’m excited to get back in there after this short break and put on another good performance for everybody.”

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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